How Do I Set This Thing Up? A Beginner’s Guide to Setting Up Your Sewing Machine For Success

So you’ve finally taken the plunge and purchased your first sewing machine. First off, congratulations! I hope sewing is something that will bring limitless joy and creativity! But now you may be wondering how to set up a sewing machine and what is involved. 

Don’t worry; I’ve got you covered. This post will discuss all the ins and outs of setting the machine up and preparing to stitch your first stitch. We’ll go over the thread, needles, bobbins, and everything in between. 

The Basics of Sewing Machine Setup

When you first pull the sewing machine out of the box, you might feel intimidated but have no fear! After we’ve gone over the basics, you will be able to set up your sewing machine with ease. 

If you’re still searching for a beginner sewing machine, you can check out my blog post here, where I go over seven great options for under $200. You don’t have to buy a super expensive machine to make beautiful things. 

Whenever you purchase a new machine, I recommend sitting down and reading through the user’s manual. The manual will tell you all about machine maintenance and troubleshooting, which are important subjects to know about when working with a sewing machine. 

Once you’ve read through the manual and are ready to start sewing, you need to do these three things. These are the essential beginning steps on how to set up your sewing machine. 

How To Put a Needle in a Sewing Machine

The most important thing you need to remember when installing a needle is that it is VERY sharp, and you don’t want to poke yourself. As you get more comfortable working with the sewing machine, this probably won’t be an issue, but keep that in mind when you first start.

Let’s go over some terminology first. These are the terms you should know surrounding the installation of a needle. 

• Needle: The part that the top thread is threaded through to sew.
• Needle Shaft: This is the part of the machine where the needle is placed. 
• Needle Pin/Clamp: This is the part of the machine that holds the needle in place.
• Handwheel: This is on the right side of the sewing machine and allows you to move the needle up and down without using the foot pedal. When installing a needle, you want to use the handwheel to raise the shaft to its highest position. 

Now let’s walk through the steps of installing a needle on a sewing machine. Make sure your sewing machine is NOT on during this entire process.

Step 1: Raise the needle shaft to its highest position.

Step 2: Loosen the needle pin/clamp if it isn’t already.

Step 3: Take your needle and place it into the shaft as far as it will go. Sewing machine needles have a flat side on the base. You’ll need to figure out where that side goes in the shaft. Carefully turn the needle till it slips up into the shaft. Hold the needle between your thumb and pointer finger, and make sure they don’t slip down and poke the tip of the needle. (That hurts, trust me.)

Step 4: Tighten the needle pin/clamp with a screwdriver. You want it to be snug, but it’s not necessary to tighten it “super” tight. 

There you have it! A beautifully installed sewing machine needle. Great job!

How To Thread a Sewing Machine

Every sewing machine’s parts are a little different, but the main steps to threading a machine are the same for most sewing machines. To thread the top thread through the sewing machine, most user manuals have detailed instructions on how to set up a sewing machine and a diagram of each step of the threading process. 

Some machines even have the steps numbered on the sewing machine, like the image below. This makes the threading process much easier. With a bit of practice, you’ll be able to thread your machine like a pro.

Step 1: Place the spool of thread on the spool pin.

Step 2: Take the end of the thread and thread it through the thread guide.

Step 3: Not every machine is like mine, but I will show you pictures of how I thread my machine (Juki TL-2010Q.) Consult your user’s manual for specific threading steps for your sewing machine. I first wrap it around the 2nd part of the thread guide.

Step 4: I then bring it down and wrap it around this knob which controls the upper thread tension. 

Step 5: Bring it around and go up through the bottom hook, up through another guide, and the upper hook.

Step 6: Bring it back down through the guide to the thread guide above the needle.

Step 7: Hook the thread through the guide that is attached to the needle shaft and thread the needle. 

I recommend going through the motions and practicing threading the machine several times to get a good feel for the process. You’ll have it figured out in no time!

How To Put a Bobbin in a Sewing Machine

 Prepping the bobbin for sewing is essential, and you want to ensure you do it correctly. Many newer sewing machines have a “drop-in” bobbin feature, but some still have the traditional bobbin case and bobbin compartment. Below you can see the first image is a drop-in bobbin compartment, and the second is a conventional bobbin case in the bobbin compartment. 

First things first, before you can place the bobbin into the machine, you need to wind it with thread. Most modern machines have a built-in bobbin winder on the top of the machine. 

You simply take the thread from the spool and wrap it around the bobbin thread tension guide, feed the thread through the hole of the bobbin, place the bobbin on the bobbin winder, snap it into place, and wind the bobbin till its full. Again, your user manual will give you a specific diagram for your sewing machine and “how to” instructions. 

Once the bobbin is full, you can either drop it into the machine if it has a drop-in compartment or place it into a bobbin case. Here are the steps for installing a bobbin into the bobbin case.

Step 1: Take the bobbin and unwind the thread about 2”-3”. You need this tail when placing the bobbin into the case. 

Step 2: Holding the bobbin in your right hand with the thread “tail” pointing towards the right, place the bobbin into the bobbin case.

Step 3: Pull the thread through the slot on the top of the bobbin case till the thread “locks” into place. 

Step 4: Pull the lever on the bobbin case and use it as a small handle. This holds the bobbin in place while putting it into the bobbin compartment. 

Step 5: Turn the bobbin case 45°, so it looks like the image below.

Step 6: Place the bobbin case into the bobbin compartment and push down the lever to lock it into place. 

And that’s how you install a bobbin into a sewing machine! Not too bad, right? I always like to recommend practicing these steps a few times just to get used to the process before you start sewing anything.

I hope this breakdown of how to set up a sewing machine was helpful to you. Let me know if you have any questions about any of the steps. I am happy to help in any way I can!

Happy Stitches!